Frederick County building department

Frederick County’s Department of Permits and Inspections, part of the Division of Planning and Permitting, issues building permits, zoning certificates, and electrical, plumbing, driveway and gaming permits. It also handles plan review and inspections for the unincorporated county and for ten of the county’s twelve municipalities. The permit office is at 30 North Market Street in downtown Frederick, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. All applications go through the county’s online application portal, which runs on the CIVICS platform.

Which towns the county covers

Two municipalities run their own building programs, and the county will not take building permits for their addresses:

• City of Frederick: the city’s Building/Permits Department is at 140 W. Patrick Street, (301) 600-3808. The city takes applications on its own OpenGov portal and runs a same-day “One-Stop Shop” on Tuesdays from 8 to 11 a.m.
• Mount Airy: the town handles signs, fences, driveways, banners and zoning certificates. It has transferred building permits to the Carroll County Bureau of Permits and Inspections in Westminster, (410) 386-2674.

In Brunswick, Burkittsville, Emmitsburg, Middletown, Myersville, New Market, Rosemont, Thurmont, Walkersville and Woodsboro, the county issues the building permit, but you first need zoning approval from the town. Upload the town’s paperwork with your county application. The county publishes a chart of each town’s planning contact, hours and how it accepts applications. If the portal says the county does not accept applications for your parcel, the address is probably inside the City of Frederick or Mount Airy.

Who can apply and how

Create an account on the portal, choose “submit an application/request,” then select building permits and the permit type. A permit technician checks the submittal, and plan review does not start until the application fees are paid. Upload plans as PDFs. The county also takes electronic plans through ProjectDox and publishes a guide to uploading there. Approved plans and issuance documents can be downloaded from the portal’s attachments folder.

• New homes: a Maryland-licensed home builder can apply, or the property owner if they will live in the home.
• Decks, additions, sheds and other residential work: the owner, an MHIC-licensed contractor, a design professional, or the owner’s agent can apply. An agent who is not a licensed contractor or design professional must submit a notarized form stating they are not being paid to do the work.
• Electrical and plumbing permits: the contractor’s license must be registered with the county. Homeowners can pull some residential trade permits after passing the county’s homeowner exam ($21).

Plot plans

Residential addition, alteration and accessory permits need a plot plan on letter- or legal-size paper. A survey is preferred, but a legible hand-drawn plan to scale is accepted. Show property lines and dimensions, building restriction lines and easements, the existing well and septic area, the driveway, and setbacks from the new work to property lines in every direction.

Expedited residential permits

The county aims to issue eligible residential permits within one business day. You must be reachable by phone while reviewers have questions. Eligible projects include:

• one-level decks up to 500 sq ft
• roof-mounted solar
• basement finishes without a kitchen
• one-level sheds or gazebos up to 400 sq ft and 10 feet high, with an anchor plan
• one-story truss-roof additions or garages up to 500 sq ft
• pavilions, carports, fireplaces and woodstoves
• freestanding pools and hot tubs
• handicap ramps
• retaining walls with PE-sealed plans

Some properties on private well or septic may not qualify. Sheds under 150 square feet do not need a building permit.

Fees

These figures come from the county fee schedule effective July 1, 2026. Every new application pays a $33 filing fee, plus an $11 automation enhancement fee on building permits. The minimum building permit fee is $63. Residential uses other than new dwellings add a $57 zoning review fee.

Project	Building fee
Single-family detached home, 4,000 sq ft or less	$1,023
Addition, 500 sq ft or less / 501-1,500 / over 1,500	$276 / $413 / $552
Alteration or basement finish, 500 sq ft or less / 501-1,500 / over 1,500	$137 / $276 / $413
Deck or porch, 500 sq ft or less / over 500	$113 / $144
Shed, gazebo, carport or pavilion, 150-399 sq ft / 400+ sq ft	$144 / $226
In-ground pool (including fence)	$226
Retaining wall	$113
Work found without a permit	$302 initial inspection, plus regular fees

Impact fees and excise taxes are separate. Card payments in the portal carry a 2.5% processing fee, and online checks cost $1.49. In-person payments go to the Treasury drive-through window at 30 N. Market Street.

Codes in effect

On May 21, 2024, the County Council adopted a code update that took effect July 20, 2024. It includes the 2021 IBC and IRC with county amendments, the 2021 International Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas and Energy Conservation Codes, the 2023 National Electrical Code, and the 2024 editions of NFPA 1 and NFPA 101.

Inspections

Request inspections through the portal. You can search for the permit by number or address without logging in, but you need to log in to see inspector comments. Requests received before 2:00 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day. The account holder or licensed contractor gets an email with the inspector’s contact information on inspection day. The county does not take inspection requests left on voicemail.

• Each permit includes two inspections per inspection type. After that, each re-inspection costs $63, including trips where the work wasn’t ready or the inspector couldn’t get in.
• Post the permit placard so it can be seen from the street, and keep the approved plans on site. An inspection can be failed if the plans are missing.
• Do not insulate or drywall until framing and every rough-in inspection has passed.
• Permits expire one year after issuance. Request an extension through the portal before the expiration date.

Related county offices

Office	Handles	Phone
Zoning review	Setbacks and use questions on permits	(301) 600-1143
Plan review	Building code questions on plans	(301) 600-1086
Office of Life Safety	Fire, sprinkler and life-safety review	(301) 600-1643
Environmental Compliance	Grading permits and stormwater management	(301) 600-1137
Environmental Health	New, repaired or connected septic systems	(301) 600-1726